Unattended pan on stove blamed for kitchen fire in Dover

DOVER — An unattended pan on a stove top was to blame for a first-alarm fire that struck a Freeman Court residence on Thursday.

According to Dover Fire Chief Richard Driscoll, crews responded to the multiunit building at 10 Freeman Court after oil in a pan caught fire on a stove top in one of the apartment building’s four units.

He said the tenant had intended to cook french fries Thursday morning when he turned the stove top burner on and then proceeded to fall asleep.

Driscoll said while no one was injured in the fire, the tenant is displaced and there was significant damage to the apartment’s kitchen and the cabinets there.

The fire struck at about 8 a.m. during shift change for the department, which meant there was double the manpower available when crews responded. The building’s proximity to Central Station also benefitted how quickly firefighters were able to respond, battle, and knock down the blaze.